with our hands and with our heartsas a house for all: to worship, to rejoice,to heal, to learn, to savor the greatgift of Torah.

I worry, especially for those of us who only find ourselves in the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, that we lose sight of the very strong thread in Jewish tradition that describes God as gracious and merciful, extending kindness down the generations. I truly believe that Judaism is for themost part about acknowledging and increasing the love, joy, peace, and healing in the world.more

A couple of weeks into the Gulf Coast oil disaster I found myself feeling physically sick as I stood at the gas station, filling up my tank. In that moment, it felt as if the oil that was leaking out of the damaged well into the Gulf of Mexico was pouring directly into my car.

Whether you celebrate Shabbat regularly, or want to learn how to enrich your home Shabbat celebration, you are cordially invited to experience its joy at CBSRZ on Friday, March 13th at 6 PM.
CBSRZ once again welcomes the shoreline community as part of a nationwide Shabbat Across America celebration, hosted by more than 700 synagogues throughout the country. Shabbat, the weekly Jewish day of rest, is when families and friends gather to observe a traditional service and enjoy a festive meal.
A wine and cheese reception begins at 6 PM followed by a traditional family Shabbat dinner. The main course is provided by Alforno’s of Old Saybrook . Participants are asked to contribute dairy side dishes and desserts. Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg and Cantor Belinda Brennan will lead an interactive Shabbat service with all the rituals explained.
Capping the evening will be an Oneg Shabbat when all are invited to enjoy an array of homemade desserts and fellowship.
This special Shabbat Across America celebration is free of charge and open to the shoreline community, however, reservations are required and must be made by Friday, March 6th. RSVP to bethshalom@snet.net

The hope of freedom, a good life and determination are the driving forces for immigrants entering the United States. This motivation has not changed in over a century, but the face of the immigrant has. At this forum you will hear the stories of immigrants from Mexico and Central America, why they came to the USA, what challenges and struggles they faced. There will be an exercise where you will “walk in the shoes” of a new immigrant, Pablo, taking you through challenging problems facing today’s immigrants - before and after they get to America. This will also be an opportunity for you to share your family’s immigration stories. And then we will have a discussion on reforms in immigration. If you are interested in sharing your family story, please contact Linda Rigono at lrigono@sbcglobal.net. There is no charge for this program and it is open to everyone.

We will be hosting Dr. Alan Morinis as our Scholar In Residence. Dr. Morinis will be introducing us to the practice of Mussar, which, in the words of the Mussar Institute, “is a path of contemplative practices and exercises that have evolved over the past thousand years to help an individual soul to pinpoint and then to break through the barriers that surround and obstruct the flow of inner light in our lives. Mussar is a treasury of techniques and understandings that offers immensely valuable guidance for the journey of our lives”. For more information www.mussarinstitute.org